S. African government sends mediation team to Canada to resolve firefighters dispute

A mediation team has been sent to Canada to assist in resolving a wage dispute involving South African firefighters who are on a strike while working in Canada, the government said on Sunday.

Hundreds of South African firefighters downed tools while fighting a forest fire in Alberta, Canada to press their demand for higher pay.

The Canadian authorities have ordered them to leave the country, but the fire fighters insist that they get their pay first.

The standoff prompted President Jacob Zuma to instruct Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa to intervene in resolving the matter.

Molewa said on Sunday that she is confident that the matter can be resolved in a mutually satisfactory manner, failing which the fire fighters will be demobilized and return safely back to South Africa.

The minister said she concurs fully with sentiment expressed by Alberta Governor Rachel Notley that remuneration for the firefighters should be fair and equitable.

The South African side will continue to engage directly with Working on Fire (WOF), the implementing agent that dispatched the firefighters, and with the Canadian government on the conditions under which South African firefighters are deployed both now and in future, Molewa said.

The 301 firefighters were deployed to the Canadian province earlier this month to assist with wildfire suppression, as part of a resource sharing agreement with Canadian fire fighting agencies.

Established in 2003, WOF has received international recognition for its role in supporting conservation and sustaining ecosystems and community improvement through the provision of job opportunities and skills and training of participants. Endit